The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-26
Comments Of tho State Press OH tho
Interstate Commerce Bill.

SecClOn OF tne Dill provides 1Or the
appointment Of railroad commission
crs by the President. This assertion
of power by Congress impinges the
the rights Of the State, as is contend
ed by many This legislation by
Congress is an entering wedge. We
hope it may be useful to the people,
but it does not look that way now
KeoaUee Courier.
The Interstate Commerce bill
passed the Senate Friday night "by a
large majority" The vote was 43 to
is. That is encouraging. 1t shows
that the Senate of the United States
is independent Of the powerful inhu-
ence Of the railroad corporations of
the country.
The action Of the Senate will not
please Mr.. Jay Gould and some cor
poration Senators, but it will he ap-
plauded by the people. The bill
now goes to the House, with good
prospects of enactment there also.
Let it become a law.-NeaU York.
Herald.
A bill with the above title has
passed the United States Senate. 1t
is intended to regulate freights, or at
least, this is one of it's most impor-
tant features, SO that charges would
be always proportioned to the dis
tance, and there could be no dis
eliminating against small places and
in favor of large towns and terminal
points, for instance; should the bill
become law, freight would be less
from New York to any Of the small
towns on the G. G. & A. r. r., than
to the city Of Augusta. However,
the fate Of the bill in the House of
Representative is very uncertain
and We will not count our chickens
yct.-Edgcfeld advertiser.
Its enactment will, in our judg-
ment, prove disastrous to commerce
between distant sections, for this
bill requires that railroads shall not
charge less for long, than for a
short haul. Hence, where freight
traverses several lines Of railroad
the rates will, Of necessity, be COM
paratively high. The clause which
allows competitive rates, may in a
measure mitigate the evil workings
of the long and short haul clause;
but we apprehcnd that the passage
of the bill will work injuriously to
the South in two ways: First, hav-
ing to draw our rations, corn, flour,
bacon and similar articles from the
West, the long haul, and numerous
lines over which these goods are
brought, will almost inevitably in
crease the price to the Southern con-
sumer. Anderson Lotelligencer.
The railroad bill, or Interstate
commerce bill, now pending before
Congress is as might be expected
meeting with good deal of opposi-
tion. Under the recent decision Of
the Supreme Court Of the United
States it was held that the matter of
regulating railways, where the line Of
such passed beyond the territory of
the State and into any other State,
belonged properly to Congress. This
view Of the law had also been taken
by our own Courts. The bill before
Congress will therefore apply to all
railroads in the Union, except such
as have their terminal points within
any given State. The subject is Il
very important one, and has given
no little pcrplexity to the State Leg
islatures. The problem is to devise
some law which shall be just to the
railroad companies and which will
compel them to be just to the people.
We believe that it can be DONE
Fairfield Neacs and Herald.
1t is considered probable that the
Interstate commerce bill will be con-
sidered by the House Of Representa-.
tives this week, the bill having al.
ready passed the Senate. The OBJ
jections to the bill in its present
shape are serious, and its warmest
supporters onl y.rcgard it as a make.
shift.
Against what is expected to be
obtained from the bill, in the pre-.
vention Of discrimination by railway
companies, there is the unquestion-
able fact that, without Congressional
regulation, local rates for freight and
passengers have steadily declined,
and that the accommodation now
given to the public, by the railways,
could not be afforded if tho railways
were deprived Of through business.
This through business they are able
TO take, with profit, at low rates, be.
cause the charges for taxes, interest
and station and terminal accommo.
dation do not vary with the amount
of traffic.
Some of the longest heads in the
South and West arc opposed to the
present bill, and believe it to be full
of mischief. So much good has
been accomplished by the railways
fhnmcnI,no 4